Dual Panel1David made his escape from Naioth in Ramah and came to Jonathan. “What have I done?” he asked. “What is my offence? What wrong does your father think I have done, that he seeks my life?”
2Jonathan answered, “God forbid! There is no thought of putting you to death. I am sure my father will not do anything whatever without telling me. Why should my father hide such a thing from me? I cannot believe it!”
3David said, “I am ready to swear to it: your father has said to himself, ‘Jonathan must not know this or he will resent it,’ because he knows that you have a high regard for me. As the LORD lives, your life upon it, I am only a step away from death.”
4Jonathan said to David, “What do you want me to do for you?”
5David answered, “It is new moon tomorrow, and I am to dine with the king. But let me go and lie hidden in the fields until the third evening,
6and if your father misses me, say, ‘David asked me for leave to hurry off on a visit to his home in Bethlehem, for it is the annual sacrifice there for the whole family.’
7If he says, ‘Good,’ it will be well for me; but if he flies into a rage, you will know that he is set on doing me harm.
8My lord, keep faith with me; for you and I have entered into a solemn compact before the LORD. Kill me yourself if I am guilty, but do not let me fall into your father's hands.”
9“God forbid!” cried Jonathan. “If I find my father set on doing you harm, I shall tell you.”
10David answered Jonathan, “How will you let me know if he answers harshly?”
11Jonathan said, “Let us go into the fields,” and so they went there together.
12Jonathan said, “I promise you, David, in the sight of the LORD the God of Israel, this time tomorrow I shall sound my father for the third time and, if he is well disposed to you, I shall send and let you know.
13If my father means mischief, may the LORD do the same to me and more, if I do not let you know and get you safely away. The LORD be with you as he has been with my father!
14I know that as long as I live you will show me faithful friendship, as the LORD requires; and if I should die,
15you will continue loyal to my family for ever. When the LORD rids the earth of all David's enemies,
16may the LORD call him to account if he and his house are no longer my friends.”
17Jonathan pledged himself afresh to David because of his love for him, for he loved him as himself.
18Jonathan said, “Tomorrow is the new moon, and you will be missed when your place is empty.
19So the day after tomorrow go down at nightfall to the place where you hid on the day when the affair started; stay by the mound there.
20I shall shoot three arrows towards it as though aiming at a target.
21Then I shall send my boy to find the arrows. If I say to him, ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you; pick them up,’ then you can come out of hiding. You will be quite safe, I swear it, for there will be nothing amiss.
22But if I say to him, ‘Look, the arrows are on the other side of you, farther on,’ then the LORD has said that you must go;
23the LORD stands witness between us for ever to the pledges we have exchanged.”
24David hid in the fields, and when the new moon came the king sat down to eat at mealtime.
25Saul took his customary seat by the wall, and Abner sat beside him; Jonathan too was present, but David's place was empty.
26That day Saul said nothing, for he thought that David was absent by some chance, perhaps because he was ritually unclean.
27But on the second day, the day after the new moon, David's place was still empty, and Saul said to his son Jonathan, “Why has the son of Jesse not come to the feast, either yesterday or today?”
28Jonathan answered, “David asked permission to go to Bethlehem.
29He asked my leave and said, ‘Our family is holding a sacrifice in the town and my brother himself has told me to be there. Now, if you have any regard for me, let me slip away to see my brothers.’ That is why he has not come to the king's table.”
30Saul's anger blazed up against Jonathan and he said, “You son of a crooked and rebellious mother! I know perfectly well you have made a friend of the son of Jesse only to bring shame on yourself and dishonour on your mother.
31But as long as Jesse's son remains alive on the earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established. Send at once and fetch him; he deserves to die.”
32Jonathan answered his father, “Deserves to die? Why? What has he done?”
33At that, Saul picked up his spear and threatened to kill him; and Jonathan knew that his father was bent on David's death.
34He left the table in a rage and ate nothing on the second day of the festival; for he was indignant on David's behalf and because his father had humiliated him.
35Next morning Jonathan, accompanied by a young boy, went out into the fields to keep the appointment with David.
36He said to the boy, “Run ahead and find the arrows I shoot.” As the boy ran on, he shot the arrows over his head.
37When the boy reached the place where the arrows had fallen, Jonathan called out after him, “Look, the arrows are beyond you.
38Hurry! Go quickly! Do not delay.” The boy gathered up the arrows and brought them to his master;
39but only Jonathan and David knew what this meant; the boy knew nothing.
40Jonathan handed his weapons to the boy and told him to take them back to the town.
41When the boy had gone, David got up from behind the mound and bowed humbly three times. Then they kissed one another and shed tears together, until David's grief was even greater than Jonathan's.
42Jonathan said to David, “Go in safety; we have pledged each other in the name of the LORD who is witness for ever between you and me and between your descendants and mine.” David went off at once, while Jonathan returned to the town.